You would think La Mirada High School football coach Mike Moschetti, with five Division 1 prospects returning, would be one of the most confident coaches around this spring.

But that hasn’t been the message he’s been sending at practice as the Matadores start preparations for the 2010 season.

“We have a long way to go,” said Moschetti, whose team went 13-1 last season and won the CIF Southern Division. “One of the concerns I have is us getting complacent. We told the kids to put their rings away.”

There’s perhaps no team in the area with more college prospects than La Mirada, but Moschetti is saying that doesn’t mean much to him in terms of position battles.

“Yeah, we have some D-1 guys, but nothing is set in stone,” Moschetti said. “Just because kids are being recruited doesn’t mean anything if they don’t perform. St. Paul (La Mirada’s Week 0 opponent) doesn’t care how many kids we have being recruited.”

One position already set is quarterback, where Shane Blood will inherit the position vacated by standout Daniel Poncedeleon.

Blood, a three-year varsity letterman, played some quarterback as a sophomore and was used mostly at defensive back last season.

“That’s the least of my concerns,” Moschetti said of the quarterback position. “Shane’s our leader. I’ve never been around a kid or anybody I’ve ever played with who works as hard as Shane. It’s going to hurt losing Daniel, but we’ll be fine at quarterback.”

No sweat for La Habra

On paper, it would appear La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta has one obvious position to worry about on offense – running back. But that isn’t the case as the Highlanders continue spring practice.

Josh “Juice” Quezada accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense last season, but he’ll be at BYU in the fall.

That means there’s a big hole to fill despite the return of quarterback Cody Clements, four offensive linemen and several key receivers.

But La Habra, as always, is ready to reload. St. Paul transfer Drake Griffin and Ahmad Avery give Mazzotta two excellent options.

“I wouldn’t say running back is a concern,” Mazzotta said. “Obviously, we’re going to miss Josh and the leadership he brings … and then you lose those 2,000 yards. But I think we’ve got a couple good backs.”

If there was anything for Mazzotta to sweat about, it’s a defense that loses a lot of bodies in the front seven. But the veteran coach is confident he’ll find more than adequate replacements.

La Habra finishes spring ball on June 4. The Highlanders will have summer trips to Diamond Bar and Mater Dei for passing action and also compete in the prestigious Edison Tournament.